A Demon's Familiar
by Rayzor14
Summary: One ingredient. That was all it took to send her hurtling into the NetherRealm and suddenly attached to a fire breathing Demon Sorcerer. He was confused than elated. She was confused than panicked. But oh well. How bad could it be being a demon's familiar?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: **Hello, FF! Yet another new story to add to my growing list of things I'll probably never finish, but this is just something I've been dying to write about for awhile so here we go.

For a while now, I've been following Eduard Kassel's work and it was they who inspired me to look into the Jackie Chan achieves, where I found a surprising amount of exceptional work. Especially stories that turn the already amazing Jade into a Bona-fide badass. But at the same time, I noticed that there weren't a lot of equally amazing stories featuring Shendu. And, like most of the time when I encounter such a problem, I decided to fix it myself!

Enter _A Demon's Familiar. _The namesake was something I'd known about for good little while, but have just now found a good outlet for it. Before we begin, please take note that this takes place before season 2. Enjoy and remember, reviews get me motivated to write faster.

A Demon's Familiar

Turn 1: Lesson in Familiarity

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The streets were flooded with the hustling, bustling masses as cars blared warnings and drivers flung insults over others incompetent vehicular expertise. Children ran amuck through the parks playing keep away as an old woman complained about the amount of mustard on her hotdog. Shady alleys covered shadier deals that were overheard by wire before the crackle of semi-automatics filled the air. All in all, a perfect day.

Except for one Jade Chan.

She didn't get to go to the park or the movies or even outside in general. Her uncle and legal guardian had had a rather informative talk with her science teacher about her experimentation about the effects of pop rocks and soda on the class guinea pig. Six overturned desks, two broken rulers, a few horror filled cries of possibly infection, and a broken terrarium later and she was sulking her room on her Super Moose bed spread. Her eyes gazed longingly out the window before she fell back onto the with a deep sigh.

It was only eleven in the morning and already she was bored out of her skull. The activites her uncle had suggested held no interest to her. _Board games, origami, reading, Stamp Collecting? _Snooze-City. She'd rather beat the ever living crud out of some mutated super soldiers on her handheld, but alas, it'd been taken along with any other viable entertainment outlet. _He even found my secret stash in Uncle's mung bean cabinet. _She was both impressed and irritated at her relations detective skills.

Another ten minutes trickled by and she found herself staring at the ceiling, her mind filling with the myriad of possible things she could be doing instead of being cooped up at home. Her thoughts drifted back to those scant few months ago, when her life had been filled with danger and excitement. She dearly hoped that something similar would happen. Demons, flying carpets, heck, the sky could start raining lemon-scented doggy treats. As long as it happened soon and she was free to tag along against her uncle's wishes.

Ten more minutes ticked by and the sky showed no signs of spontaneous mystical outburst, so she huffed back onto her bed sheets. If only she had the Talismans, they'd ensure some relief to this mind-numbing boredom…

"That's it!" she yelled triumphantly "Why didn't I think of this two hours ago?!"

Spring from her mattress, she stopped just shy of the door before carefully creaking it open.

"Hellooooo?" her voice gave the very faintest hints of an echo

Coast clear, she sneaked from the doorway and quickly called upon her innate spy skills. Creeping down steps was always the hardest part, as every time she put her small foot down, it'd creak unbearably loud. She made it a mental note to remind Jackie to call someone about it. _Stupid noisy stairs. _Once she was back on solid ground, she swept the room and gave a brief sigh of relief. From there she swiftly sneaked her way through the house, peeking into one of the rooms.

In it, books were stacked as high as the ceiling, all leather-bound and yellow with age. Separate sheets of individual papers were scattered on the floor, half-finished sketches and ink splattered in rushed sentences. And sitting in the one chair at the one desk was Tohru. After all, who else could fit their entire, massive bulk into such a frail, wooden chair? Jade tip-toed in, carefully watching the former Enforcer snooze away over an open book detailing the beginning steps of some chi spell. The young girl then grabbed a book and rushed out of the room to the kitchen.

Half a hour later saw one Jade Chan hovering over a crock-pot, shimmering clear water reflecting her scrunching face. It'd taken her about ten minutes to realize it was written in some long dead language and she had to sneak and retrieve a book of translations. After carefully skimming through the tome, she came upon a spell she found particularly interesting: One because it was short and two because of what it did.

"Transportation Spell." she muttered excitedly, rubbing her hands together in that cliché villain way she'd seen on television "Let's see…I'll need some dried lizard scales,"

In went the ingredients, each more weird and confusing than the last, transforming the pure water into a seeping soup of foul emerald. More confusing was the fact that her Uncle had nearly every item on the list. She didn't know either to be thankful or disturbed. But still, there was one item she didn't have. The girl ran her finger over the text and looked up the translation.

"Proof of Being?" what followed was several minutes of head scratching as her mind tried to conceive just what this could possibly mean "What the heck's that?"

Hopping down from her perch on the stool, she once more pilfered a book from the study where the sumo still slumbered, this one containing an index of various magical ingredients. After a few minutes of searching, she found it.

"_Proof of Being- A physical component that relates the caster to the place/object/thing of desire. Most often than not, said component is likely a removable part of the body, preferably the nails or hair."_

Well, that was easy. The girl placed the book back onto the countertop and brought her hands to her face. Curling her fingers, she figured her nails wouldn't do the trick seeing as they were bitten down to the quick. _Stupid nervous habit. _Sighing, she combed her hand through her ebony locks, fingering it. Then, grabbing a few strands she braced herself and tugged.

"Yeowch." she was amazed she hadn't screamed louder. Who knew magic could be so painful?

With the final ingredient in hand, Jade scrambled back up the stool and hovered her hand over the bubbling mixture. A wide, beaming smile pasted on her face.

"San Francesco Park, here I come!" she hollered as she dropped the hair into the soup. The strands sunk deep into the pot before it glowed brightly, wisps of steam streaming off into the air. The curious youth leaned follow before being engulfed by the encompassing energy and pulled into it. With a flash, Jade Chan was gone.

S-J

Shendu was in no good mood.

The dragon hadn't been in anything resembling good spirits since his return to the Nether Realm , a fate he'd been avoiding for the past 900 years. If not for the failure of his revenge to re-conquer his stolen domain, than it was most certainly for the treatment he'd received from his siblings these past few months. They'd been most angry to learn that in his time on Earth he'd ruled without them and even once he was freed from his petrifying prison had made no attempt to free them.

The dragon had managed to find refuge in some far off corner of amidst the floating rocks and bloody sky. He knew he'd be safe out here…at least until his siblings become bored and once again seek him out. Sighing heavily, he slithered his body onto one of the craggy islands, curling in on himself.

He very much hated this form. It was weak, near powerless to do anything but possess the forms of others. Unfortunately, it didn't work on his fellow demons. Which was why he'd been nursing a scorch mark from Tchang Zu, who hadn't taken the attempt lightly. Casting out his thoughts for the moment, he allowed himself to try to attain sleep. But just as he'd nearly achieved it, he thought of Chan. And that made him wide awake with anger.

How could he, the Demon Sorcerer of Fire and once great Ruler of China, be defeated by a bumbling human? An archaeologist at that! Chan was so clearly inept, surviving because of happenstance and blind luck. And because his underlings were such absolute fools. He'd struck the bargain with Valmont out of desperation, not by choice. He needed someone's help to gather the Talismans and the human had appeared to be quite confident and reliable, along with being easily manipulated through such a petty thing as wealth. Oh, but how wrong he'd proven the demon. How wrong indeed.

With another sigh, he purged the hatful humans from his mind. It wouldn't due dwelling about revenge. He'd need his energy for when his family came looking for him, no doubt to further repay their gratitude for his extended absence. Slowly, his red eyes closed and he was swiftly brought to blissful, calming sleep.

Then he felt something hit him.

He stiffened on instinct, body fluidly untangling to face his assailant. Was it Dai Gui? The Earth Demon always had a knack for ambushing. As his gaze surveyed around him, his eyes found themselves glued to the object in front. He took in the black hair, orange hoodie, red sneakers. They looked up at him in confusion before recognition set in and they yelled as they scrambled backwards. The demon felt his fire boiling inside, smoke escaping from the corners of his snout.

"Chan…" the name came out venomously, a lisp accentuating the first syllable

Jade Chan stared at the Fire Demon, her brown eyes wide with horror and disbelief. Where was she? Why was Shendu here? "You're dead, aren't you?!" she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. That last part hadn't been in her head.

The giant dragon slithered into the air, coiling over to the frightened girl "In some ways, I suppose I am. But here I am, in the flesh…so to speak." a faint smile graced his mouth and Jade knew that it was not a good sign.

She was proven correct when the demon suddenly struck, his serpentine body wrapping around her blindingly fast before constricting his small form. The girl wiggled and squirmed to no avail as Shendu brought his catch up to his face, his smile growing only larger and more frightening.

"I do believe I never properly thanked you for destroying my body and reducing me to this." the ghostly tail tightened and the girl felt her body start to yield to the immense pressure "Allow me to rectify this."

Just as he was about to put an end to the loathsome, meddling child did a harsh flash of orange light strike him. The force sent the demon reeling through waves of agony as he felt the light invade his form, tearing into his incorporeal being. His death grip slacked and the girl landed on her rear with an 'Oomph!'. Her hands instantly were upon the afflicted area, soothing it vigorously

"Oww, don't know what was up with that freaky light show, but it got…me…" Jade stopped moving all together as her eyes beheld the sight of the coil of shifting orange that hugged her body, extending until it met halfway with a stream of flowing amber dotted with red flecks.

Which was flowing from Shendu.

The girl wasn't the only one shocked, for the dragon was also staring at the sight with eyes filled with astonishment along with vague recognition. Seeing her chance to run, Jade leapt to her feet and booked it as fast as she could. She perhaps made it a dozen steps before a force tugged at her back, sending her world topsy-turvy before she landed hard on her back.

"It would seem as if fortune has finally shined down on me." the girl looked up and saw the Demon Sorcerer's visage hovering over her own and scooted back a few feet on pure reflex

"Stay away from me, lizard breath, or I'll…I'll-" she fumbled with her words, racking her brain for some punishment she could inflict on the demonic dragon. Her frantic finger pointing and clumsy tongue only served to make Shendu chuckle, something that only enhanced his already intimidating presence

"You can no more escape me now than I could escape you." once more, scales wrapped around her meager frame, this time far lighter and with considerable care "Our energies, no, our very essences have become one and the same."

The Chinese felt her mouth go dry "W-why's that?"

Shendu gave her a smile, filled with long, sharp fangs and teeth that caught some fleeting ray of light "You, Jade Chan, have become my Familiar."

Seconds passed, neither of the two moving from their positions, waiting for the other to response. Jade acted first and tilted her head in confusion "What the heck's a Familiar?"

The demon sighed, the smile dropping from his face "I would think someone living under the same roof as a disciple of Chi Master Fung would be more well-informed of matters of the mystical variety."

The girl crossed her arms, lips jutting out into a pout "It's not like I even knew about all this magic junk before I came to live with Jackie."

Shaking his head, he muttered something she couldn't hear "Regardless, a Familiar is a being that serves to assist wizards and sorcerers in their practice of magic. However, they also have a second and far more important task."

The draconic demon pulled her closer, stopping a few feet shy of his scaly face "They act as an anchor between worlds."

Jade slid further into her captor's coils, fearful of his answer "And that means?"

"With you, I can finally be rid of this accused place and once again return to Earth." she gasped and his grin grew only larger

"Like I'm gonna help you bust out so you can try and take over again!" she shouted, angrily pushing at his grip "Even if you do get out, Uncle and Jackie'll find you and magic your scaly butt right back here!"

"I highly doubt it." his form shifted as he began to slithered into air, his new Familiar in tow "Even if the Chi Wizard and your annoyingly irksome ilk do manage to find me, with you as an anchor, they cannot send me anywhere."

Jade growled, pounding her tiny fists against his mighty coils and attempting to pry them apart bare-handed. She tried to think of some witty retort, some insult to hurl at the miserable fire-breathing gecko. She knew her family would no doubt learn of her absent and come looking for her. But what if Shendu was right? What if there was nothing her family could do? Would she be stuck with this beast of demon forever?

_Keep your head in game, Jade. _She mentally scolded herself _Just play along until Jackie finds you and Uncle whips up a spell and then Poof! Everything's back to normal._

The next few minutes were marked by silence, the slithering of Shendu's snake-like body the only ambiance. As the jagged, floating hunks of rocks flew past, Jade wondered just what her captor was searching for. Then, the dragon halted. She swiveled her head to and fro but could find no hints of anything that might catch the demon's interest. Her ears perked when they heard chanting. It sounded similar to the spells her uncle _Or he's my grand-uncle? Or maybe he's my third cousin twice removed or something? _would use, the words sounding foreign and strange to her ears. As the words continued to spill from his forked tongue, the air before them shimmered before it literally started to part.

Within moments, the empty space was filled with a wide portal as Jade started in utter shock as Shendu succeeded in tearing the space-time continuum asunder. His grin was downright wicked as he savored his triumph, reveling in the promise of long awaited freedom.

"Shendu!"

The demon twisted on his neck and the girl did as well, her eyes widen in shock. Coming into view was a most unusual pair. The first was a small creature with blue skin and long, dangling arms that ended in sharp claws. They wore a rather tattered cloth to cover their-well, manhood and had equally long legs with sharp talons. On their back were a pair of bat-like wings with which they were currently using to fly. The other was a light blue with white marking accenting its obviously feminine build. Her legs were nonexistent as they flowed into a long fin tail. And on her head was a mass of curling and writhing tentacles. Both of these new entities stared at her and Shendu with the same pair of featureless, red eyes.

"Hello, brother. Sister." Jade's eyebrows shot clear into her hairline "Have you come to see me off?"

"What is the meaning of this, Shendu?" the fish-lady demanded, pointing a claw at the dragon "How can you open a portal here?! None of the portals in the Human World have been opened!"

"Ah, I would have my Familiar to thank for that." he raised his tail, showing the shocked girl to his siblings

"Since when did you have a Familiar?" the bat demon asked, raising an eyebrow "I thought you more than any of us thought that relying on another power to be beneath you."

The dragon gave the equivalent of a shrug "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. And as you can see, I was just about to take my leave."

The fish demon snarled, tentacles twisting about angrily "And leave us here in this void of despair?! I think not, dear brother. I would sooner destroy you."

"Bai Tza." Shendu shook his head, forgetful of his sister's hot-headedness "Are you so quick to judge? What makes you think I do not already have a plan to return you all to your former glory?"

This time it was the smaller demon you spoke, his voice seeping with contempt "Because it didn't include us in your last plan for the past 900 years. How do we know that this time, you will keep your word?"

"I am not without my honor, His Wu." he assured his brother "Besides, for too long humans have ruled this land. Land that was once ours. I think they should be reminded of their place. And to that end, I swear to release you my siblings."

The two stared at the dragon for several moments, mulling over what he'd just told them. To say they were skeptical would've been an understatement. Their brother was a wily one, always scheming and looking for ways to further his own causes. But he did stick to his domain when he ruled, never transgressing upon those of his fellow demons unlike others. The two turned and nodded before raising their hands and blasting the fire demon with rays of emerald energy. He twisted in agony for moments, his tail curling tightly around Jade.

"What tricky is this?!" he shouted, watching the glow pervade over his body

"A simple spell to insure you keep your promise." Bai Tza replied as she crossed her arms smugly "With it, you'll be unable to summon your army of dragons or any magic that involves the opening of portals of any kind."

Shendu snarled, furious that the two would inflict such a spell upon him! Although, he admitted that it was something he could see himself doing as well.

"Very well, I shall go and seek out your Doors. And when I'm done, I expect you to uphold your end of the bargain." And with that, the demon slithered through the portal, dragging one thoroughly confused Jade Chan with him. Before she slipped through, the girl could only think of one thing.

"_Shendu has FAMILY?!"_

S-J

The ally was dark, save for a single, wonky light bulb that casted it fabricated light into the darkness. All at once, it flickered, tethering on and off before succumbing to the all consuming darkness. A foul wind swept through the narrow passage, scattering stray trash and debris before the air twisted and then split in twain. A swirling vortex of red and golden energy suddenly came into being and spat out it occupants before disappearing into nothingness.

Shendu rose into the air, breathing in the scent of the swelling, putrid air. To him, it smelled like freedom. To Jade, it smelt like a rotten egg farted into a jug of spoiled milk. Twisting in on himself, the spectral demon brought his Familiar close.

"I am free." he practically sang, his body jittering about in excitement "But before anything else is done, I due think we must do something about this form."

**Author's Notes: **There you have it. Was it any good? Please, be honest. I've been experiencing a bit of block while writing this chapter and so some of it might not be as good as it could've been. Other than that, I think it was okay.

Also, I was wondering if anyone knew any chants of whatever that you think would go for each of the Demon Sorcerers? I have a few in my head, but I'd have to rely heavily on Google Translate and I want it to fell authentic. Anyway, until next time. TTFN!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: **Wow! Can't believe I already gotten reviews for this story. And from such talented writers as well. As some of you have already pointed out, this event has drastically altered the timeline of Jackie Chan. In this chapter alone, we can start to see how it affects the cast as a whole. Oh, and expect this to be a bit lengthy. Anyway, on with the fic!

A Demon's Familiar

Turn 2: Boxes of Talismans

Torhu awoke with a start.

He had felt something. And while he currently had no idea what that something was, his sensei had taught him to be more in tune with the flow of chi around him. It felt…not weird, per say, and for some reason didn't feel malevolent as his teacher often told it would. Instead, it made him feel…hungry.

That was understandable. He'd just spent the majority of the night and well into the early twilight reading up on the text for basic chi spells and incantations with only a bowl of white rice and lukewarm tea to fuel him. Yawning, he rose from his seat and lumbered into the kitchen.

"Strange…" he remarked as he noticed there were various items of empty or half empty contains sewn about the room "I didn't know sensei was home."

Looming over the pot that held the vicious, green mixture, he leaned in and gave a whiff. It smelt of dried herbs and broth, much like that of chicken. And there was another scent, one he couldn't place. Curious, he dabbed his finger into the soup before bringing it to mouth. He glanced about to make sure no one was around and tasted it.

"Mmm," he hummed happily, smacking his lips "taste like chicken."

Then, he remembered that a certain hyperactive, bundle of energy was grounded. Retrieving two saucers from the cupboards, he poured them to the brim with the broth and made his way towards the stairs. Hopefully, Jade hadn't gotten herself into _too _trouble already.

S-J

Shendu, aside from being a dictator and master of the demonically mystic arts, loved to complain.

Seriously, ever since they arrived back on Earth, it was all he did every step on their way towards their destination. Geez, who knew someone who had to be pushing at least 1,000 years old could be such a whiner? Apparently, he did. Jade had resorted to using her hands to shield herself from the onslaught of self-pitying drabble, allowing herself to replay the dragon's plan in her head again.

Shendu wanted his old body back. No surprise, seeing as in this world he was little more than an astral specter whose only real purpose was to whine and whine about how horrible his existence had been and how he'd been wronged and striped of power and blah, blah, blah. To do that, he needed the Talismans. Which, last time she checked, were still somewhere in China under what was left of Shendu's palace. According to lizard lips, that wasn't entirely the case.

"So, how exactly are we gonna get the Talisman if, ya know, their on the other side of the world. I don't even have enough for the bus, let coach class." the girl knew that no one but her was able to see the slithering form of Shendu, but she was a bit used to being the odd man out

"Foolish girl, you obviously aren't well versed in the ways of mystic artifacts." Shendu ignored the 'Well, duh.' his companion shot at him and continued to explain "The Talismans are not just tools of great magical power, they are also a part of me. Over these centuries, I have fine tuned my senses to the point where I can locate them easily."

"So that's how the Valmont's goons always knew where to look." Jade tapped a finger to her chin. She'd always assumed it was through some kind of underground connections or something.

"Indeed, but, as I was a statue and thus unable to be easily transported, I had to configure that aspect of my being into a more physical form. The search would've continued to be more fruitful if that accursed oaf didn't break it with his cumbersome girth." Jade flashed the demon a dirty look. Even if Torhu was still new and they weren't exactly on the best of terms, she still didn't like how he referred to him. "Nevertheless, I have already located all twelve of my Talismans."

"Really?" well that was fast. She was expecting this to take a heck of a lot longer. "Where are they?"

The specter closed his eyes, focusing as he gathered his thoughts. He stayed motionless for while, long enough for Jade to tap her foot impatiently against the concrete with folded arms. Then, his eyes flashed open and glowed an eerie blood red before dimming to their normal, but still intimidating glow.

"They are near." he raised his tail and pointed to a far off building that she vaguely recalled as being a bank "It seems as though all are gathered in that area. And I can feel their impeding use."

"Wha?" was all Jade said before an explosion filled the air

B-J

Agent Augustus Black was drinking his afternoon coffee, lazily gazing over the monitors that were stationed around the city. Ever since the world had nearly come to an end at the hands of demonic, fire-breathing dragon, things had been rather slow by comparison. Sure, there were still mobsters, crime lords, and super thieves running through the city's underbelly, but really, what could compete with a _dragon_?

Apparently, a fire blast produced by a certain stone.

Almost immediately, he had his phone out, orders already issued to outgoing officers as he quickly speed dialed his close friend. This was magic business. And magic business was best left to the professionals. The phone hadn't even rung twice when his eyes widened as a certain small, future agent candidate suddenly appeared on the scene. So shocked was he, that he almost didn't notice the other line answering.

"_Hello?"_

"Jackie, is Jade with you?" a rhetorical question seeing as how he was looking at the figure on the screens

A confused tone was evident in his friend's voice _"Um, no. Jade's at home. She's grounded."_

"You might want to consider expanding that."

"_Why?" _

"Because right now she's at the bank with the Dark Hand. And let's just say they're all packing heat of the magical kind."

"_WHA-" _He hung up before his eardrums were further battered by the power that was Jackie Chan's wail of distraught. His eyes were back on the monitor and he saw Jade crouching behind a car just as it exploded into shrapnel.

"What've you gotten yourself into this time, kid?"

J-S

Jade slowly uncurled herself and gazed at what remained of the smoldering mess that was formerly a black Sudan. Letting a squeak escape her throat, she threw herself to the side as the remains were blasted back by the body of a SWAT member complements of the Ox. Taking cover behind a nearby armored truck, which she hoped wouldn't get roughed up too badly, she allowed herself to watch what was easily the most one-sided fight she'd seen in awhile.

Chow was easily hurtling peace keepers overhand like sacks of potatoes, mixing in a tossed car and a few streetlamps every now and then. Ratso was pulling a Houdini all over the place and crowd controlling with Pig-powered heat beam eyes. Finn was flying about like a flightier jet, heaving entire groups of officers before chucking them into the surrounding brick and mortar. And Hak Foo was taking out guys left and right bare handed, apparently deeming the mystical powered items unnecessary in lieu of his unmatched physical prowess. Within the scoop of a few minutes, what was once a street now resembled something from a war movie.

"Imbeciles." Jade broke away from the fight and looked up to noticed an officer, free of any injuries and glaring at the scene with narrowed, red eyes "My Talismans were made to be used to conquer entire nations, not these pathetic excuses for warriors."

The girl wisely stepped back and allowed the demon possessed policeman to walk forward, flames flickering at the corners of his mouth. With a snarl no man should be capable of producing, he open his mouth and bellowed out a torrent of searing fire. It knocked a hovering Finn down to ground, alighting his polyester-blended backside as he frantically put it out.

"Geez, Chow, watch where ya throwing that stuff!" he groaned as he observed the large scorch mark left on his lucky trends

"Wasn't me." the Chinese shrugged just as another blast of fiery ripped past, narrowing avoiding frying them alive

"Very observant." All eyes honed on the figures figure stalking slowly towards them: the first was a police officer with unnaturally glowing red eyes and flames streaming from their mouth and the other was a short, pre-teen girl wearing an expression that seemed a cross being annoyed and exhausted "Now kindly return my Talismans and I will refrain from burning you all to a fine ash."

That voice, those flames, those eyes…it couldn't be "Shen-Dude?!"

The possess man groaned execrably "All those months under my employ and yet and still you use that moniker. I believe I might simply destroy you here and now." Flames lit his face and the Enforcers, save Hak Foo, all backed away in unison

"L-listen, Shen-Du-Shendu, we'll…" Finn halted his hastily conceived apology before smirking impishly "Hold the phone. Last I checked, the Talismans weren't yours;" the Irishman levitated off the ground, a smug grin on his face "they're ours."

The man unleashed a ferocious snarl as his element curled wickedly from his host's jaws, casting dark shadows "INSOLENT WHELPS! YOU SHALL KNOW A DRAGON'S FURY!"

The fire surged from Shendu, missing the airborne Enforcer by a wide margin as a pair of heat beams slammed into his chest. Snarling, he launched a ball of fire, only to watch it destroyed by Ratso's enhanced vision. He charged forward, aiming for the pale skinned man as he blinked out of sight. He fist sent spider web cracks through the impacted wall and he lashed with a kick, sending a sneaking Chow stumbling.

"You'd do well not to underestimate me. Even in this mortal flesh, I am more than you'll ever know." Chow threw an Ox charged punch, which the demon easily countered and sent him back with a punch of his own

He then ducked a flying hydrant and then a trash lid. Finn was grabbing and throwing any and everything at his former employer, eager to see the demon fall and realize how outclassed he was. With considerable might, he rose an armored truck into the air and tossed it as hard as the Rooster would allow. Shendu narrowed his gaze and belched a stream of white, hot flames, incinerating the steel into a melting pile of slag.

"Whoa, talk about dragon breath." he swerved to avoid a fireball before being decked by spare tire.

Chow once again tried to rush the dragon but he easily stepped out of the way and slammed his knee hard into the man's chest. He then brutally brought down his elbow and watched, satisfied, as the man fell limply to the ground. His ears perked and he blocked a hard blow to his right, skidding backwards.

"You fight well, dragon." Hak Foo quickly assumed a battle ready stance "But let us see how you fare against the Black Tiger."

"Hmm, fool." Shendu slipped into a loose, wide stance "What match is a tiger to a dragon?"

"We shall see. Tiger Pounces Dragon!"

He shot forward, fist blurring with speed as he struck at his core. The demon slid back and swept his legs.

"Eagle Takes Flight!" He leapt high into the air, far higher than any normal man. Shendu raised an eyebrow in surprise "Condor Crushes Marrow!" He dived, both hands outstretched and Shendu flipped out of the attack's path. He punch landed and shattered pieces of concrete. "Bull Rushes Fruit Stand!" The demon smoothly dodged the head charge, allowing the red head to slam his skull forcibly into the wall. Yanking his head free, the Enforcer snarled before breaking into a sprint.

"Bear Claws in Fury!" Shendu dodged and landed his knee hard into the man's stomach, a grin of satisfaction evident as he watched the mercenary practically fold in half from the blow. Removing his leg, he planted an axe kick to his face, sending him skidding across the ground.

"Hmp. Maybe now, you mortals see who your better is." he raised his borrowed foot, prepared to slam it into Hak's downed form.

"Hey, Shendu!" the demon in question turned and saw Ratso, his arms securely locked around Jade struggling form "One move and the shrimp here turns extra crispy."

His eyes glowed with a hissing aura of golden light, showing to his former employer that he might business. He didn't know why the mini Chan was here with the demon, but it didn't matter as the demon dropped the possessed man's foot hard on the pavement, lips curled back in anger. It was all the opening Chow needed, sending him soaring with a punch and watching him pierce and come to rest inside an armor transport.

"Oops." the Asian sheepishly said "Wasn't that ours?"

"Doesn't matter." Finn slowly lowered himself to ground level, his grin forming from ear-to-ear "Big V can buy a new one with the withdrawal we just made. Plus, the ransom we'll get for Ol' Chan's niece-"

'Ummph!' was heard in the air followed by a thud, the direct results of Jade's tactical strike to Ratso family jewels. Releasing his charge as he felt pain flood his body, the girl landed shakily on her feet before quickly retrieving the dropped Talismans. Before the others could even protest, she was gone in a burst of speed via Rabbit, using the momentum of her charge to ram right in Chow. He hit an overturned car and was swiftly relieved of his powerful jewelry, Jade blinking from sight as a sewer lid zoomed past.

"Argh! No fair!" Finn was as high in the air as he was comfortable with, eye scanning for any hints of the Chan girl "How am I suppose ta hit ya if I can't see ya?"

"Tag!" was all Finn heard before he was caught by the sneak attack. Let it be known: Snake plus Rabbit plus Ox equals The Mother of all Sucker punches. He could've sworn one of his ribs cracked before he was sent hurtling to the ground, his body aching as he felt the Horse and Dog leave him along with the rest of the mystical items of power. Blinking back into view, the girl jumped into the air as she held all of the Talisman's with the help of the Rooster.

"Shendu, head ups!" her hands flicked and the stones rushed into the damaged vechile, disappearing into the interior as she felt strong arms wrap tightly around her form.

"Dog Catches Frisbee!" Jade struggled against the might that was Hak Foo's grip, legs flailing about every which way.

RWOAR!

Every head snapped up at the noise resonating from the transport. The truck rocked on its springs, sending the frame into a series of sharp creaks and moans. A fierce screech ripped the air followed by the shredding of metal as a pair of wickedly sharp claws tore through the roof of the truck. They peeled the steel backwards like paper, allowing a scaly, golden bronze head and torso to emerged from within. The head snapped upwards and roared, marking the return of Shendu to his flesh and blood and bone.

He spotted his partner seized within the stunned mercenary's arms before raising a claw, drawing him skywards. A flex of his wrist and Hak watched helplessly as his arms were forced apart against his will before he was swiftly pulled forward, staring into the eyes of the angered Demon Sorcerer.

"You'd do well not to touch my things." Shendu growled, ignorant at the look of swelling rage on Jade's face.

The remaining Enforcers looked at the for a few moments before decided to turn tail and run. Three steps in, they were hoisted into the air, fighting for the return of gravity. Shendu raised himself from the shredded remains of the armored vehicle before carrying him and his load out of sight.

No sooner than they left did a blue SUV swerve into the wreckage. Putting his means of transportation in park, the renown archeologist and demon slayer Jackie Chan was out and looking at the scene in utter confusion. He noted the myriad of overturned, melted, or destroyed vehicles, dozens of unconscious officers and blacked asphalt that was unmistakably the work of the Dragon Talisman. But what stole the show was the armored truck whose roof had been completely shredded, as if someone or something had pulled the metal back like a lid.

"What happened here?" his own voice snapped him out of his stupor and he immediately looked for his niece "Where's Jade?"

"Jackie," the man turned and saw his long time friend, pulling up in a black van with a grim expression "you're not gonna like this."

The black haired man gulped before muttering under his breath "Bad Day."

S-J

Valmont tapped his cane impatiently against the floor of the fish cannery. Just where were those incompetents? He'd expected them to be back already, seeing as how they had the aid of some very potent magic, after all. They were to go to the bank, rob it, and return with a large enough sum to pay for a more…_respectable _base of operations. Preferably one that didn't reek of fish.

He heard the doors slam open with more force than was necessary. No doubt Hak Foo found the excursion to be less than preferable. After all, with enemies like Jackie Chan in the world, facing off against common peace keepers would seemed like quite the step down. Nonetheless, he would have to scold the muscular man about releasing his anger on his property, no matter how much it pained him to call this hovel such.

"Honestly, Hak Foo, if you must vent your anger, please do so on more appropriate-"

Whatever he had left to say died in his throat the moment he came face to face with those all-too-familiar, fear-inducing eyes. Red as the bloody moon. He stumbled backwards with a yelp, swinging his cane and watching in stunned shock as it easily snapped against his head. Now completely defenseless, he managed to look past the demon's form to see his Enforcers and surprisingly the Chan girl standing a few feet behind.

"Don't just stand there, do something!" he bellowed, mustering up as much authority as he could into his voice

The four all blinked before Finn started chatting up to Shendu about current events, Chow and Ratso walked over to a table to read the newspaper, and Hak proceeded to a corner and promptly started to perform one fingered push ups. The Brit looked on in shock, floored that his underlings had refused to acknowledge him. A torrent of angry and obscene shouting attempted to voice itself but was silenced as he felt his body be hoisted weightlessly until he was eye level with the dragon.

"Valmont." the dragon's tone sounded far more civil than he remembered or expected "I see you've been well since my banishment. Tell me, how did you enjoy your treasure?"

Any fear he harbored was momentarily forgotten as he balled his fist in rage and glared menacingly at the reptile "You know damn well how I enjoyed your treasure! After all that work, that time, that energy: all so I have it slip between my fingers and turn to dust! I upheld my part of the bargain and you reneged on our agreement!"

"Did I?" he was pulled closer to the demon's face, heat wafting from heated breath "I promised to give you my vast riches and they were indeed yours. Did you not just say you held it, effectively acquiring it?"

"For a handful of minutes before your exile triggered its and the palace's destruction!"

"I promised you the treasure. I never said for how long." his mouth tugged into a smug grin and Valmont growled lowly, head hung in defeat. Cheeky dragon bastard.

"What do you want then?" he spread his arms wide, gesturing to sea scented walls around him "As you can see, we are currently in less than satisfactory conditions."

"Your minions will do, for now." he demon remarked offhandedly, vaguely aware about the Irishman's rambling about some place called Vegas "They have proven to be at least somewhat useful in the past and I shall need their assistance for my latest venture."

Valmont sighed heavily, rubbing his temples in preparation for the headache that was to be the no doubt magically undertaking "Alright, when do we start?"

He felt a tug as he was drawn closer, the dragon's smile curling up sinisterly and revealing his sharp teeth "I never said I needed _you, _now did I?"

"Wha-what?!" Valmont wheeled back, trying to distance himself the monstrous sorcerer "You need me! Without my fortune and connections, you'd never survive long in this world!"

The dragon erected his slightly slouched posture and held up a claw "One, I don't need you as you have proven more than willing to betray me at the first opportunity. Two, I have no need for riches _or _your petty mortal connections as I have my own methods of obtaining what I desire. Three, I ruled over one of the largest empires in history and survived for nearly a millennia after that. And lastly," he drew the human in so close, their faces were nearly touching "who are you question my abilities when yours have proven so severely lacking?"

The crime boss managed to get out half a word before he was suddenly propelled forward at great velocity. Shendu forced the worthless mortal forward and through the roof, sending him sailing over the horizon and completely out of sight. Jade and the Enforcers, save Hak Foo, cringed.

"Overkill much?" the girl asked, taken aback by the rather brutal punishment dished out to the Englishman. Sure, he'd tried to have her and her family put six feet under more than once, but still.

"I have no need for worthless things." his gaze turned on his newly re-acquired servants "Let that be a reminder."

"Uh," the head Enforcer backed back a considerably amount, hands raised in a sign of surrender "that's cool. We got it Shen-Dud-Shendu. Boss man. The big bad drag-"

"Quiet." smoke curled from his lips and the man promptly shut up "Now then, I do believe I have yet to properly introduce you to my newest ally."

Jade, who was idly shifting back and forth on his feet, perked up and felt herself be tugged closer to Shendu. With a roll of her eyes, she complied with the silent demand, cringing only slightly when she felt the lizard rest his claw on her shoulder.

"This is Jade Chan. My Familiar."

Even as the overgrown garden snake prattled on about her new station, he found her mind drifting to recent events. Like why she had decided to help Shendu in the first place? Sure, when your choices were either ruthless, and somewhat incompetent, enforcers who were likely to sell or ransom you off at the earliest connivance or a demonic, fire-breath wizard who most likely saw you only as meal ticket and human shield, the lesser of the two evils was a toss-up.

But for some reason, when she saw Shendu, or rather his borrowed form, crash into the side of the van, something inside her had reacted and then after that…_It was like I was on Auto-Pilot or something. _she mused to herself, cupping her chin in thought. Whatever had happened, it hadn't been completely if not totally out of her control. She could still do something, like think about which Talisman combo was best to use to ambush the flying Irish, but other than that, nothing. Both her body and the majority of her mind had been in agreement on one thing: Protect Shendu.

The big question here was simple: Why? And the other, more disconcerting: How did she stop before she actually hurt someone?

B-J

Uncle's Rare Finds was packed.

Under normal circumstances, the elderly shop owner would be elated and swiftly order his family and possible apprentice to secure a sale. However, the dozen or so men surveying the store armed with enough fire-power to take out half the neighborhood and then some signaled that these were _not _normal circumstances.

In the back store room, the student of Chi Master Fung was glaring deeply into his tea. Across from him, Agent Black and Jackie were also staring off into the deep green liquid, as if searching for answer within the cup.

"Aiya!" Torhu nearly dropped the tray of cookies he'd baked, arms fumbling wildly to regain his balance "Jade has been taken captive by Shendu!"

"Yes, Uncle. I just told you that five minutes ago-Agk!" two fingers rapped sharply against his skull

"Shendu holds Jade. But for what reason?" he inquired

"Ransom, maybe. Or to use her as bait for Jackie-Arg!" Black rubbed his forehead and shot a glare at the old man

"Shendu is immortal Demon Sorcerer with vast mystical might and knowledge, not common thug." he sipped from his cup, gathering his thoughts "Shendu must have other motivation for taking Jade."

"Like what?" Jackie asked, voice laced with worry "What reason could Shendu possibly have for wanting Jade? To teach her?"

The old man cupped his chin, tilting his head in thought "Maybe. Jade is young. And from what Uncle saw in kitchen, is resourceful with magic. Perhaps he wishes for a pupil. Like Uncle."

It would've been comical how the sumo shrunk under the old man's withering gaze if not for the present atmosphere. Jackie rapped his fingers hurriedly against the table, mind's gear turning in fits and starts. He could not fathom the reason behind this sudden abduction. For what possible reason could he want his niece? He dearly hoped it was something as simple as ransom, but he quickly dismissed it. Shendu didn't seem the sort to rely on wealth. That left the option of educating her…She shuddered at the prospect of Jade learning to wield demonic spells. For more reasons than one.

As the group continued to discuss amongst themselves, they failed to notice the scurrying rat on the floor. It was swift, darting beneath the table before any stray glancing could catch sight of it. With a blur of speed, it rush out towards the rear of the room, where it stood and looked up at the towering bookcase. With that same burst of activity, it was zipping from shelf to shelf, completely unnoticed by the men conversing just feet away. It suddenly jerked to a halt, nose twitching as it examined the leather-bound tome before heaving it easily with its teeth.

Then, with a twitch, it shimmered from sight; the men none the wiser.

J-S

"Finally." Shendu hissed, scooping up the offered volume from the mercenary's outstretched palms "You've done well, Hak Foo."

The man nodded to his master before allowing the faintest of smirks to upturn his mouth. Praise, in any form, was a very welcomed sentiment. And would help to establish a peaking order amongst their group, where he would naturally sit atop of.

"I don't get it." Jade stopped toying with the strings of her hoodie to address the demon "Why go through all that for some musty, old book?"

"This _tome_," Shendu shot the girl a glare, annoyed at her title of such a crucial piece of his-and by extension her-master plan "is the key to unlocking the doors that seal away my brethren,"

For a few minutes, the temporary lair was filled with mostly silence interrupted only by the occasional ruffling of a page or grunt from Hak Foo as he once again exercised his body. Jade had tried to look over the dragon's shoulder-for she refused to touch him if she could avoid it-but the demon was impenetrable to her nosing efforts. He was, however, becoming increasingly annoyed by the young girl's prodding and had to fall back on calming breaths not to rip the tome in half from the sheer intolerableness that was her insistent intrusion.

"Ah, here we are." he stood, ignoring his Familiar's inane babble "The Pan'ku Box."

**Author's Notes: **Orginally, I'd planned for this to be a much longer chapter. But instead, I chopped it in half and gave you what you see now. So, before I finish, let me just set up some keys focuses of this story:

One. This story, as you can see early, is going to have a very decent amount of action and fighting in it. After all, it wouldn't be Jackie Chan if it didn't.

Two. The Relationships Jade develops. As this is AU and happening roughly only a few weeks after Shendu's 'death' at the hands of a nine-year-old, Jade hasn't or won't develop or establish deep connections with certain people that she would in cannon. That said, her relationship with people she already knows or care for is bound to change.

Three. Magic. This is one of the Major points of the story so expect to be seeing a lot of it. Most, if not a good amount, of the mysticism is a combination of real, established practices and my own, sorta-warpped imagining. Of course, feel free to tell me if something isn't feasibly workable or not in either review or PM and I'll work to change it.

Four. Consequences. On both Jade's and Shendu's part, they will both have to ultimately come face-to-face with the outcomes of the choices they make and will be tested and changed by them. Whether or not for the better remains to be seen.

Five. Group Dynamics. While I can't go into too deep detail about it now lest I spoil some of the plot for later down the road, let's just say it involves our favorite dimwitted Enforecers and a few…others.

Anyway, Thanks for reading! TTFN!


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